To Follow the Voice Inside
by EverythingEverything
Summary: A year after the death of Ash Ketchum the Pokémon world is still trying to recover. But to one particular Trainer from Vaniville Town it's about following the voice inside.
1. Chapter 1

**To Follow the Voice Inside (Pokémon Fanfic)**

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon_

Chapter 1

It was an important day for Akio. He had just turned 10 and was about to start his Pokémon journey. Akio dreamed of becoming the strongest Trainer in the Kalos Region. And today he'd start his quest!

He looked back at his house in Vaniville Town. He tried to imagine what Lumiose City would look like, being the largest city in all Kalos anyway.

 _3 Days Later_

"Finally here!" Akio gazed in wonder at the towering city in front of him. He was so in wonder that he didn't even notice that something was falling towards him. Until it fell on him.

"What the-"Akio pulled the thing off his hat. To his surprise it was a Pokémon, a Froakie to be exact. Akio thought the Froakie should be with a Trainer, but it seemed to be wild. Looking at it closely Akio also saw it had a twisted leg.

"Ok Froakie, I'm your friend. I'll get you to safety as fast as I can, alright?" Akio told the injured Pokémon as he scooped it up in his arms.

"Froakie." the frog Pokémon could only manage a whimper.

"STOP!" Three red-suited people emerged.

"Who are _you?_ " Akio asked defiantly.

"We're Team Neo-Flare, created by Xerosic after he escaped from jail. We seek to avenge Lysandre and purify the Kalos Region!" the people started laughing evilly.

Akio gently put Froakie down. "Well, not today!"

Froakie defiantly looked at the Neo-Flare grunts with a _fight me_ expression.

Akio yelped, "Froakie, you have to get that leg fixed!"

But Froakie still stood (squatted?) in front of the grunts.

"Okay, if you want to battle then bring it!" the middle grunt said.

"Skorupi, show them!" she sent out the scorpion Pokémon from a Poké Ball.

"Bisharp, I choose you!"

"Houndour, come on out!"

Akio sighed. Outnumbered 3 to 1, how could he win?

Froakie built up a Water Pulse in its hands and threw it at Skorupi, instantly making it faint.

Now the Houndour and Bisharp looked at it even more vengefully than before. Akio knew that was a bad sign.

Then the Froakie used a move Akio thought was the ex-HM Cut, taking out Houndour. But the Bisharp was still up and that didn't help. considering how powerful it looked.

"Bisharp, Scratch!" the other Neo-Flare grunt commanded.

Froakie was in no shape to dodge Scratch. Akio jumped forward in an act of bravery/idiocy and intercepted the Scratch, leaving him sprawled on the ground with a long bloody gash down his arm and a limping Froakie at his side.

"Okay, I guess we'll have to find a Pokémon Center. Then I'll take you back to your-" Akio told the Pokémon.

"I can help you with that." a voice came from behind Akio, startling him so much he almost dropped Froakie.

Akio turned around. He was tired of people always interrupting his sentences. "Yes?"

"I'm Professor Sycamore, the Pokémon professor of the Kalos Region."

Akio stood straighter up. "Uhh...hi, I'm Akio and I'm from Vaniville Town and I've come to get my first Pokémon."

Professor Sycamore examined the Froakie in Akio's arms. "That Froakie must have escaped somehow. Your situation is too much like..." he paused, clearly trying to compose himself.

Akio knew who he was referring to: Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. While he never met that Trainer, he'd heard the stories. He'd died last year protecting his friends from Team Neo-Flare. Everyone in the Pokémon world had felt the loss. He'd remembered watching him in the Kalos League as a pre-Trainer.

"So, um, can you help me take care of Froakie for the time being?" Akio asked.

"Absolutely." Professor Sycamore responded. He took Froakie and gestured for Akio to follow.

At the lab, Froakie got hooked up to a Poké-IV. Akio watched anxiously.

"Will it be okay?" Akio asked.

"I-I believe it will." Professor Sycamore shrugged.

 _A Few Hours Later_

After a dose of Poké-IV (Akio didn't know what chemicals were in there, nor did he want to ask) Froakie's bad leg was fixed and its other injuries were invisible.

"So, anything else you want to ask me?" Professor Sycamore asked Akio.

"Um...yeah...so...um, I came to Lumiose City to get my first Pokémon and...yeah. But I just ran into Froakie, and...I just felt I should help it." Akio stammered. He felt awkward admitting the truth.

"I think Froakie has implanted on you..." Professor Sycamore began. "Literally."

Froakie had attached itself to Akio's leg, somehow also holding a Poké Ball.

"Go ahead."

"Um. Okay. Give me the Poké Ball, Froakie." Akio told the frog Pokémon. It gave over the Poké Ball happily. Froakie reached for the Poké Ball. Startled, Akio dropped it. Then Froakie pressed the button and let itself get caught.

"Well, I guess I have my first Pokémon now!" Akio smiled cheerfully.

"Wait. Before you go, take this Pokédex. This device lets you view information on every Pokémon!"

"So this device has information on almost every single Pokémon?! Science is so amazing!" Akio's green eyes sparkled. "I'll be going to Santalune City now!"

"Good luck. But there's also a gym here in Lumiose City."

"Oh. But I think I'll need some more powerful Pokémon to battle there." Akio shrugged. "Bye now!"

He headed off, ready to face any battle with his first Pokémon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _A Week Later_

Akio sighed. "Okay, so I guess we'll take a well-deserved rest now." He flopped down on a clearing. Tiredly he tossed out Froakie's Poké Ball. "Come on out."

Froakie sprang out of the Poké Ball eagerly.

Suddenly a quiet shriek was heard.

"I think we should see what's happening." Akio told Froakie.

After three wrong turns, they finally found the culprit. It was an injured Pokémon that had lots of purple bubbles around its head.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Akio wondered as he got his Pokédex out.

"Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. Ralts is the pre-evolved form of Kirlia. It can use the horns on its head to read human emotions. Ralts rarely shows itself to humans, but may occasionally approach when it senses positive or happy feelings." the slightly robotic voice droned.

"It's been poisoned. We have to help it!" Akio told Froakie.

"Froakie!" Froakie seemed agitated.

Turning to face it, Akio saw a giant Pokémon looming in front of them. He quickly scanned it with his Pokédex.

"Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon and the evolved form of Ekans. The pattern on its belly appears to be a frightening face. Weak foes will flee just at the sight of the pattern."

"Ok, Froakie, Water Pulse! I'll go try and heal Ralts, okay?" Akio barely managed to get the words out of his mouth.

He scooped the little white Pokémon up. "Ugh, if only I could find a Pecha Berry right now..."

Akio stopped. How did he know what to do? He'd never seen a poisoned Pokémon before!

As if by miracle, he found a little bush growing in front of him. "Hooray! Thank Arceus!" he cheered.

Picking the ripest-looking one, he fed it to Ralts.

Almost immediately the purple spheres around its head vanished. Akio smiled, remembering that Ralts liked happy emotions.

Ralts happily sat up on Akio's lap. It sprang into his backpack.

"Whoa! My money!" Akio screeched. He'd only bought 200 PokéDollars with him.

Froakie facepalmed. Akio felt it was somewhat insulting for a Pokémon to facepalm at him.

Ralts finally found what it wanted. One of Akio's spare Poké Balls.

"Ok, I guess you want me to catch you." Akio shrugged.

He gently tapped the Poké Ball to Ralts's forehead. The little Psychic-Fairy type condensed itself in the device.

"Hooray! I have my first wild Pokémon!" Akio held up the Poké Ball excitedly.

"Okay now, Ralts, come on out!" He tossed the Poké Ball, and Ralts happily appeared.

"I'm your Trainer now. We'll have lots of great battles together!" Akio smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Akio recalled Ralts and Froakie and continued his trip to Santalune City.

His bad physical shape got the best of him now. He sat down on the road, depressed.

 _Why don't you hold a training session?_ A voice in Akio's brain spoke.

Akio called out Ralts and Froakie and said, "Ok! Let's do a training session!"

Ralts and Froakie seemed to like that idea.

"Okay, Froakie, use Water Pulse on Ralts. Ralts, try your best to dodge it."

Froakie built up the ball of water and hurled it at Ralts. Ralts yelped and then shimmered away, re-appearing out of reach.

"That's Teleport!" Akio smiled.

Finally, when the sky was almost pitch-black, he arrived.

"Finally!" Akio collapsed to the ground in a sigh of relief. "But it's dark. Let's head...to a Pokémon Center."

Akio quickly requested the last room available. He dropped his bag on the floor, collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep instantly.

Naturally, he had dreams.

 _He was watching a battle take place. On one side was a Trainer wearing a red hat with a Pikachu perched on his shoulder. On the other was a blond woman carrying a camera._

Akio sat up. This wasn't anything he'd experienced before. Was he in someone else's dream? No way! And why wasn't that Pikachu in a Poké Ball?

He shrugged. Dream or no dream, he needed a good sleep.

Naturally, he still had dreams.

 _The blond woman tossed out a_ _Poké Ball. Out popped a blue and white Pokémon with four tiny legs. The red-hatted Trainer smiled, and then turned to the Pikachu._

Suddenly, Akio remembered something he'd seen on TV the day the news program had announced the death of Ash Ketchum. There had been a blond woman with a camera telling reporters about a Gym Battle.

The sudden rush of thoughts was almost too much for Akio. Somehow, Ash Ketchum was in his brain.

Akio scoured his own brain, wondering what to do.

Once again, he thought about all the TV he'd watched prior to his journey. His mom had tried to stop his habit, but he still watched. Once, there had been a documentary called _Legendx2._ It had been about cloning and featured some guy called Dr. Fuji and a genetic Pokémon called Mewtwo. Dr. Fuji had tried to clone his late daughter, Amber, back to life. He didn't remember much other than that, although he believed that there was one line about how a person's thoughts could be programmed into the clone.

Now the rush of thoughts overcame Akio, and he passed out, still wondering if he was a clone or not.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up, Akio stretched and called out Ralts and Froakie.

"Okay. Today, first we'll have some breakfast. Then we'll think about our gym battle."

"Froakie!"

"Ralts!"

Akio smiled. "I'll go see if there's any Pokémon food in the lobby. Follow me so we don't get separated."

They arrived at the lobby. Akio found the Nurse Joy in charge of the Pokémon Center.

"What can I help you with?" She asked.

"Um...my Pokémon are hungry and we need some food." Akio said hesitantly.

"There's a store right down the street." she told him.

"Okay then! Thanks!" Akio smiled and headed down the street with Froakie and Ralts in tow.

He finally found the store. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, checked that Froakie and Ralts were still there, and walked in.

The clerk smiled. "Welcome! Can I help you with anything?"

Akio scratched his back. "Y-yes, I want to buy some Pokémon food."

The clerk directed him to the aisle where bags of Pokémon food lay on the shelves.

"Thank you, sir!" Akio waved.

He paid for the food with fifteen of his precious PokéDollars and happily skipped out, with Froakie and Ralts clinging to his shoulders.

Returning to their room, Froakie and Ralts ate up. Akio cursed. He forgot to buy food for himself. How idiotic.

Akio sighed. "Sorry guys, but I didn't buy food for myself, and we have to go out again."

Akio reached into his backpack and rummaged through its contents, tossing out a handkerchief, a book, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Forget it!" Akio grabbed the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Akio scarfed the sandwich down. Then he got to placing the handkerchief and book back.

However, his hands froze upon seeing the book cover.

It read, " _Cloning: An Yet-to-be-Mastered Ability"._

Akio remembered bringing that book in his backpack. He never read it, but for some reason he took it with him.

He started reading. He disliked reading, preferring TV documentaries.

One passage stood out.

 _"It has been said that cloning_ _Pokémon is plausible, but cloning people is still in its infancy stages. However, it appears that thoughts from a human brain can be programmed into the mind of another human. "_

Akio yelped. "Oh NO! I'm a clone!"

He immediately covered his mouth. "Sorry everyone. My bad."


	5. Chapter 5

The Trainer in the neighboring room knocked on Akio's room's door.

"Umm...hi.." Akio stammered.

"Why were you yelling? It freaked me out!" she screeched.

"My bad. Watching a horror movie." Akio lied. He couldn't bear to tell anyone about his maybe-clone status.

The Trainer huffed and closed the door.

Akio recalled Ralts and Froakie. "Now that we're all full, let's head to the Gym!"

Akio walked out of the Pokémon Center eagerly, ready to test his skills.

He confidently walked and walked and walked...and bumped right into someone.

"I-I'm sorry!" Akio stammered. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled. "I'm Viola, the Gym Leader of Santalune City!"

Akio smiled. "Hooray! I was just heading there."

He followed Viola to her Gym, still anticipating how he would face her with his rookie battlers. He was quite sure his chances for victory were quite slim.

Tossing his shoulders back, he smiled, almost uneasily.


End file.
